


Reignite

by Hallowyd



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Character with Neopronouns, Destiny 1 & 2 Timelines, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Lots of World Headcanons, Neopronouns, Other, Pre-Collapse, Slight Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:14:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27863649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hallowyd/pseuds/Hallowyd
Summary: With the Light's enemies at the gates and hope running low, it is up to the Traveler's chosen to make sure humanity lives to see the dawn.(A collection of drabbles based on various prompts)
Relationships: Guardian/Speaker (Destiny)
Kudos: 15





	1. Exodus

**Author's Note:**

> No one had any idea of what was coming. This was especially true for the crew and passengers of the _Yang Liwei_.

The beep of machinery surrounds xim, the glow of monitors casting shadows across xir face, casting xir deep brown skin in dark blue. Laine checks and rechecks everything. And then rechecks it again.

Course is holding steady, trajectory still on point. No engine out of alignment, no power surges. No problems.

Every system on the _Yang Liwei_ can be checked and controlled from the Flight. But Laine prefers the quiet of Flight Dynamics Control. The monotony of typing on holo-keyboards and the scribble of calculations on xir datapad is a good distraction from xir racing thoughts.

Xe is hurtling away from everything and everyone xe loves at a decent fraction of the speed of light. And xe knows xe does not fit in.

Kicking off from the wall next to xim, xe floats up higher into the room and checks another set of monitors, datapad held under one arm. As xe checks the sensors positioned around the ship, xe hears the doors to the room slide open, and glance down.

Captain Alice Li floats up into the room next to xim, the black hair in her ponytail drifting lazily through the air. Her eyes gaze over the screens before they find Laine’s blue ones. “Everything in order?”

“Captain,” Laine says respectfully. “Everything’s normal.”

“Just what I like to hear.” She sounds pleased, crossing her arms and letting herself lazily drift through the air. Laine catches a loose tablet pen with one hand before it floats away. But Captain Li does not leave. Instead she watches Laine. 

Xe stows the pen in xir jacket, ignoring the nervousness welling up in xir throat. “Something I can do for you?”

The Captain shrugs. “You’re one of my officers. Can I not ask after the health of my crew?”

Laine shakes xir head, the puffy bun xir red hair is drawn back into bobbing with the movement. “I’m fine, Captain.”

“You spend an awful lot of time in here by yourself.”

That is the moment xe knows xe’s been found out. “I prefer the quiet in here, it helps me focus.”

Captain Li grabs one of the handholds on a nearby wall and braces herself against it, looking at xim like a hunter observing their prey. “You and I both know that’s not what I was asking, Dr. Dagmar. You should try and make some friends, or at least acquaintances. Participate in life here.”

Laine huffs, wedging xir datapad in between two monitors so it won’t float away, then turning to face Captain Li fully. “And do what? I have no interest in joining Mara’s weird cult.”

Now Captain Li is the one sighing. “Gods, how many people are aware of this?”

“Most. It’s weird and I don’t get it.” Xe’s spoken with Mara Sov a few times, and while the woman is charming and has a certain natural pull, her hold over some of the crewmembers is weird. Gifts? Fanart? Traveler save them. “But...yeah. I don’t really fit in. You know why.”

That makes her hesitate, and silence fills the air between them. Laine focuses on xir breathing and the steady hum of the monitors around xim.

This had been discussed between them when Laine was first being considered to be the head Flight Dynamics officer on the _Yang Liwei_. Alice Li has a specific mission in mind, leaving Sol for paths untread. She believes that humanity is too reliant on the Traveler, that they need to break away from it. Project Amrita drew likeminded people from all around the system like moths to a flame.

Laine does not agree.

“I know your wife and kids are in cryosleep. It’s going to be a long, lonely journey if you don’t at least _**try,**_ ,” Captain Li says, breaking xim out of xir thoughts. “Philosophical debates aside, you’re a brilliant officer, and I’m sure people would like you given the chance.”

Xe gives a small laugh. “Sure, Captain. I’ll remember that.”

Nodding, Captain Li pushes herself off the wall with her hands, the momentum propelling her back towards the doors in the center of the room. Laine watches her go from the corner of xir eyes as xe turns back to the sensor display, noticing when she pauses.

“Been meaning to ask,” she says, looking up at xim. “Why’d you join? You never explain your reasons.”

Laine’s fingers tap against the screen of xir datapad, lighting the surface up with colors. “The science, really. The sense of discovery. Blazing new trails. Boldly going where no one has gone before.”

Captain Li snorts. “How much Star Trek did you watch as a kid?”

“Too much.” 

With that Laine waves a hand, turning back to the sensor displays. It’s just like it has always been since they left Earth and started traveling. Nothing on sensors, no anomalies. Perfectly normal.

Until it isn’t.

A flash on the screen, so subtle that xe is afraid it was a trick of the light or a glitch. That is, until xe sees it again. One hundred light-minutes out, in the same place it appeared before. It’s as if the object is both there and not there at the same time.

“Captain,” xe says, and Captain Li’s head snaps up just as she is about to go through the door. “You need to see this.”

She’s at xir side within moments, the light from the monitors casting her face in contrasting shadows. For a while, Alice Li says nothing. The fear-tinged silence stretches between them before she finally speaks.

“What _**is**_ that?”

Laine’s hands clench the armrests of xir seat as another gravity wave shakes the _Yang Liwei_ , and xe can feel the vibration in xir bones, in the very atoms that make up xir body. Xe thinks that if xe wasn’t strapped into xir chair and frozen in terror, xe’d be curled into a ball and retching. Streaks of light fly across their vision from the intensity of the cosmic rays now bombarding the ship.

The Space-Time Geodesics officer’s eyes are glued to her screens, the rest of Flight eerily silent as the subsonic thrum stretches and compresses the ship and everyone in it.

Xe would share her excitement about the gravity waves if xe could stop thinking about how xe and everyone else on the ship, including xir family, still oblivious to the world in cryo, are going to die.

The attitude control crashes again and xe hears a yelp as the guidance officer grabs the controls, as if there’s anything they can do with the _Yang Liwei_ ’s thrusters firing erratically.

Laine is not one to pray. The Traveler is not a god, it is a cosmic entity, a force of the universe beyond their comprehension.

But as xir body is stretched and shaken by tidal forces, xe knows it’s the closest thing there is.

_Please. Please. I don’t want to die._

Captain Li’s hair floats free as she watches the holoscreen in front of her light up with dozens of tiny points around an image of the Yang Liwei. In that moment she looks holy, haloed and hallowed with a grimace of grim determination on her face.

Laine thinks of everyone xe left behind, xir parents and grandparents and siblings and cousins. Everyone xe has ever known, dying while they hurtle out of the system like cowards.

Xe voted to return to Sol. To obey Rasputin’s order and attack.

They may not have been able to do much. They’d probably die anyway in the end. But they could have bought the defense fleet time. They could have brought the Traveler time.

Better that than to die out here, surrounded by a darkness that blots out the stars themselves.

When Captain Alice Li’s eyes meet Laine’s, xe can tell she knows exactly what xe’s thinking.

Neither of them say a word.

Xir ears ring as another wave shakes xir very atoms, a tingle of stretching and compression that sends them reeling, coupled with what xe is sure is a burst of radiation. And then everything is eerily silent.

Alice Li’s voice breaks through the quiet.

"This is the interstellar vessel _Yang Liwei_ to the entity interacting with us. We are not involved in your dispute with the powers around this star. We are on a mission to begin a new life elsewhere. Our purpose is orthogonal to yours. We request your indifference…"

Laine closes xir eyes, and in that moment xe becomes the coward xe denounced.

_Leave us alone. Leave us alone._

A distinct beep in xir earpiece tells xim the sensors are picking up something, and without a word xe switches half the screens to a visual feed from the satellites surrounding the ship.

A sky with no stars. Darkness.

And then, Light.

The other monitors flare with warnings of radiation in bright red colors. Radio, ultraviolet, microwave, gamma. It’s all there. The room is dead silent, not one person even exhaling a breath.

The Light cuts through the Darkness and blazes a trail, shining brighter than the sun, and there’s a collective wince as everyone in the room averts their gaze from the monitors. Laine looks as long as xe can before closing xir eyes and turning xir head, but xe’s sure what xe saw will be burned into xir mind forever.

The weight is lifted off xir shoulders and Laine feels like xe’s floating despite being strapped into xir chair, every atom in xir body chorusing with the Traveler’s cry, its song sounding in xir ears.

_I hear you. I hear you._

“Too bright,” the guidance officer mumbles, and Laine manages to reach forward and dim the screens with a tap and a wave of xir hand. The afterimage of the light is still stuck in xir eyes.

Captain Li moves forward, glancing from one set of screens in Flight to the other. The half of the bridge that Laine is on is aglow with light ( _the Traveler’s Light_ ) from the screens. The other half is a black so dark that it threatens to suck in even the light emitting from the monitors.

“We’ve caught in the middle,” someone whispers, awe and fear in their voice, and Laine isn’t sure who.

Neither can best the other.

The streaks of light in Laine’s vision grow more intense and the screaming of the sensors fills xir earpiece before xe rips it out of xir ear and throws it across the room, where it spins in the nearly-zero gravity as xe clenches at xir head. Xe isn’t the only one, and the sound fills the room and the comms until Captain Li slams a hand on a nearby panel and it abruptly cuts off.

Every monitor in the room is ablaze with flashing red.

“Oh no,” the geodics officer whispers in growing horror. “Oh no oh no oh no.” And Laine knows exactly what every screen on the ship is now proclaiming.

“Laine?!” Captain Li cries, and xe registers that this is the first time xe’s truly heard panic in her voice.

They both know the answer already. Laine shakes xir head as the amount of cosmic radiation they’re all being bombarded with whites out xir vision. “I have nothing. I’m sorry.”

There is only one outcome with a collision of energy this size.

Collapse.

The _Yang Liwei_ lurches as the entire ship vibrates at a frequency that should have torn it apart and the screech of metal fills the air as a weight presses down on Laine’s shoulders.

The last thing Laine is aware of is the mournful song of the Light as it echoes through the cosmos.

And then there is Nothing.

And then there is Everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please appreciate how much I had to reference Marasenna for the details in this. I was really excited seeing the "Exodus" prompt and knew I could use it for my canon Guardian, who's a Firstborn Awoken. The phenomenon of lights streaking through vision that Laine is experiencing is called Cosmic Ray Visual Phenomena, it can happen to people outside the Earth's magnetosphere
> 
> This is my collection of drabbles I'm writing based on various prompt lists, starting with Destcember 2020. Many of my Guardians and other OCs will appear in here, and they're the focus of the story. Many are nonbinary and some use neopronouns, and if that bothers you then ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Laine's full name is Láidná Dagmar and xir pronouns are xe/xim/xir/xirs/ximself
> 
> This chapter was originally written for Destcember 2020 Day 1: Exodus.


	2. Thin Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is only one person Laine can't stand the thought of being on thin ice with.

When xir ship finally touches down on the Tower, Laine lets out a breath.

A week. A week on the Dreadnaught, creeping through foggy corridors and hiding among dark passages, barely getting any sleep or a moment to catch xir breath. A tense week with the Vanguard, Eris Morn, and the Speaker all on comms, with Eris using her Hive knowledge to its full potential.

Sometimes xe was unsure if xe would make it out alive. In those moments, xe regretted all the words left unsaid.

But it’s done now. The Dreadnaught’s weapon is disabled. There is no longer a danger of it advancing on the City.

Xir nightmares of the Traveler shattering above xim will not become a reality.

“We’re in for it now,” xir Ghost, Haven, hovers over xir shoulder nervously. “How much of a lashing do you think Cayde got from Ikora, Zavala, and the Speaker?”

“Oh, I bet he got a proper tongue lashing. But it was a good plan, and now we have a beachhead in the Dreadnaught. Cayde may act like an idiot sometimes, but he does know what he’s doing.”

“Mostly.”

_“Mostly.”_

Laine unstraps ximself from xir pilot’s seat, fingers drumming over the straps. “They were quiet.”

“The Speaker?”

“Yes.” Laine stands up out of xir seat, smoothing xir robes down. “I’ve upset them.” The idea of that is worse than whatever Vanguard lecture xe’ll receive.

Haven sighs as Laine pulls the level to lower the ramp. “I told you you should have told them.”

“I know.”

Laine walks down the ramp after it lowers, Haven shrinking behind her when he sees the figures standing at the foot of it. The Vanguard, the Speaker, and Eris Morn all stand there. Zavala has his arms crossed, Ikora looks something between amused and proud, and Cayde looks sheepish. Eris watches from just behind the Speaker, fingers tapping against her strange green orb.

The Speaker’s stance is tense from where they stand near Ikora.

“Guardian,” Zavala says sternly, nodding to Laine as xe stops in front of the group. “It is good to see you back alive. You realize how lucky you are.”

“I know,” Laine replies, glowing blue eyes flickering to Cayde. He gives a small wave. “But I didn’t see another choice, when Cayde approached me.”

“Whoa whoa whoa hey! Don’t pin this on me!” Cayde protests, holding his hands up.

“It was **your** idea,” Eris replies sharply, and Laine feels a pang of sympathy for her. She doesn’t own much, and xe hadn’t found out until later that he hadn’t even _asked_ Eris for permission to use her ship, which ended up getting destroyed. Xe will make sure to repay her later, especially for her help when xe was on the Dreadnaught itself.

“Well, I-...alright yeah.”

“Enough.” Ikora steps forward. “It may have been unauthorized, and it may have been dangerous, but we’re glad you’re alive. And we’re glad you succeeded. Now we may have a change against Oryx, without suffering the Awoken’s fate.”

Laine and Haven both shudder, recalling the wreckage of Awoken ships and bodies floating through space. Xe when xe met Mara Sov, remembers her eyes as they met hers and gazed through her very soul. The flicker of what seemed to be surprise in them before it vanished just as quickly.

The queen of the Reef was always cunning and mysterious, seemingly one step ahead of everyone else. Laine wonders what she knew. Why she would throw her people at the Dreadnaught.

Xe supposes xe’ll never know.

“What you did was foolish. Brave, but foolish. It worked, yes. And sometimes war requires foolish things. But just because it worked this time does not mean it will work the next time,” Zavala says finally, crossing his arms. “You should be grateful that Eris had the knowledge of Hive technology that enabled you to disable the Dreadnaught’s weapon.”

“It was for all our benefits,” Eris says, stepping out from behind the Speaker. “Now he cannot advance on the City. Now we can make a plan.”

“Indeed. We should make haste.” He turns to leave the hangar before glancing back at Laine, and Haven shrinks behind his Guardian sheepishly. “Laine, Haven?”

“Commander,” Laine replies, resisting the urge to shrink back like a scolded child.

“Don’t do it again. You are not on thin ice just yet, but be careful.”  
Haven shakes his shell. “We won’t.” Laine nods in agreement.

Zavala eyes them like he doesn’t believe them before he turns and walks out of the hangar.

Ikora glances at the Speaker, who has not said a word the entire time. “Speaker, do you have anything to say?”

Laine sees the Speaker’s shoulders tense from the corner of xir eye, and feels a pang in xir chest. Xe feels vulnerable, with Ikora standing there and watching xim. Cayde gives both xim and the Speaker a weird look before Eris hisses something at him and drags him away by his cloak.

“I wish to speak with xim alone,” the Speaker replies, finally looking over at Laine. “If you would come with me, please.” They turn and walk out of the hangar, and Laine follows.

Ikora gives Laine a knowing look as xe passes her, and Laine pointedly ignores her. The Speaker is silent as they lead Laine through the courtyard and towards Tower North, and Guardians stop and stare, murmured conversations following the two. Laine sighs in relief as they pass into the hallway.

Xe walks faster so that xe’s in line with the Speaker’s steps. “Vadim-”

“Not here,” the Speaker hisses, and xe falls silent as they finally lead xir into the Observatory proper, heading up the stairs into the Speaker’s small study.

The Speaker holds out their hand, and a Ghost appears over it. “Mariya.”

“On it.” Mariya’s nodes spin and the large door to the Observatory slides shut.

Laine lets out a shaky breath. The Speaker’s shoulders sag.

They reach their hands up, turning away from Laine as xe sees them set the mask down on the desk. Gloves are pulled off revealing brown skin, and in the next moment they draw the black cowl back and turn to Laine and watch xim with narrow dark eyes.

Laine isn’t sure what xe’d prefer at this moment. The exhausted look in xir partner Vadim’s eyes, or the mystery and authority they project as the Speaker.

Xe lets out a soft sound, moving forward and brushing strands of white hair that have come out of Vadim’s bun out of their face. “You look exhausted.”

Vadim says nothing, only gazing at xim with an unreadable expression.

Laine inhales sharply. “I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t _tell_ me,” Vadim mumbles, a hurt expression on their face. “Why did I have to find out from the Vanguard when it’d gotten to the point where you were trapped on the Dreadnaught? Light, you could have at least sent me a message.”

“I was afraid you’d stop me,” Laine whispers as guilt wells up in xir chest, xir expression falling. “I knew it was dangerous.”

“To the point where it was possible you wouldn’t return. What if you didn’t? What do you think would have happened if you died there?!” Vadim’s voice swells with emotion, their tone raising and voice cracking as they reach out and put both their hands on either side of Laine’s face.

Now that makes Laine flinch, and xe looks away, glowing blue eyes closing. “You’re still the Speaker. You would have had to tell the Vanguard.”

“Maybe, yes. But maybe not. And even if I did, maybe we could have figured something out. The stealth drive was a good plan. But a single person, going without any support and limited intel, was _not_ a good plan.” Vadim steps closer, laying their head against Laine’s. “Do you not trust me?”

“I do, I do,” xe pleads softly, closing xir eyes and wrapping xir arms around Vadim. “I’m sorry. I was thinking I was doing this to protect everyone, to protect you, and I didn’t consider your feelings. It was selfish of me.”

Laine wishes xe’d thought about how hard this had to be for Vadim, to know they couldn’t send anyone after xim, to have to listen in on comms for **days** as xe had close call after close call. And being unable to say anything, being unable to comfort or reassure or talk in any capacity but as the Speaker, to keep their secret.

Xe knows they worry whenever xe leaves on a mission, wondering if it was the last time they’d see xim.

Vadim’s arms wrap fully around Laine, and they press their lips to xir forehead, holding xim close. “I love you. Please, don’t do that again.”

“I love you. I promise.” And xe means it.

Laine can deal with being on thin ice with the Vanguard. But never with Vadim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's day 2! I really don't want to get behind on these but I already am :(
> 
> I know the Speaker isn't a Guardian in canon but mine is. I've had my version of the Speaker since before D2 they can pry mine out of my cold dead hands lol
> 
> Their name is Vadim Nureyeva, their pronouns are they/them and they're a solar Warlock rezzed about a decade after the Collapse. And yes they and Laine are together
> 
> This chapter was originally written for Destcember 2020 Day 2: Thin Ice.


	3. Dearest Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wishes can be dangerous things, especially in the Dreaming City.

Laine’s eyes search the room as xe enters it with xir fireteam, eyes focused on the intricate mechanism in the middle. “That’s one hell of a lock.”

 _“Riven was our biggest secret,”_ Petra replies over comms. _“She was not kept here at all times, but we had to make sure people couldn’t just get to her.”_

Darra snorts, the large Titan hoisting her shotgun over her shoulder casually. “Alright, how do we open the vault door then? I see the mechanism and plates in front of it, but I’m not gonna be the one to step on those.”

 _“There’s a specific way you have to open it, give me a moment.”_ Laine hears Petra say something to someone in Reeftongue, and a vaguely familiar, tired voice respond in kind. Kalli, xe thinks. _“Alright, so you see the mechanisms on the floor, and the three points in the mechanism in front of them? When you step on it there will be a series of symbols that appear.”_

She laughs. _“It’s quite clever, actually. Mostly it was the Techeuns that opened the Vault, but any gifted Awoken could. You have to read the symbols. The symbol in the middle will of the plate by the stairs will appear on someone else’s plate. If it appears on the plate to the left, that plate will need a penumbra cleanse. If it’s on the plate to the right, that plate needs an antumbra cleanse.”_

“A what and a _what_?” Willow exclaims from where she’s perched on top of the pavilion over one area. “Can you like...use smaller words.”

Parvati-31 does her best approximation of a snort, tapping her fingers against the sword sitting in her lab. “Shadow eclipsing light and light shining over shadow, in layman’s terms.”

“Thank you!”

“That still doesn’t tell us what it means,” Isaerys mumbles.

 _“Parvati has it right. It means to activate one plate with Light and one with Darkness. We Awoken are composed of both,”_ Petra remarks. _“You start with the position of the stairs saying what’s in their middle, and then when you know what you need activate the plate with, that person says what symbol is in the middle on their side, and you go around until everyone knows what they activate their plate with.”_

Ikora’s voice breaks through the comms. _“Using Darkness **and** Light? How are you using it in such a way.”_

_“I can’t tell you all the details, but in this case we either use the Techeuns to activate it, or the relics placed within each alcove of the room. Do you see them?”_

Laine looks around, heading for the area with the small tree. Xe sees nothing out of the ordinary, except for a place in the back where it looks like something may have stood at one point, if the base left on the floor is any indication. “Anything?” xe calls out, xir voice ringing through the room as if edged with starlight.

“Nothing!” Isaerys calls back. “I don’t see any relics.”

“Same over here,” Serein-7 replies, coming out from behind the large rock in another section of the room.

“Aaaand there it is,” Willow groans. “Betcha the Taken fucked with it.”

 _“She is toying with you,”_ the Speaker says over comms, and Laine can hear the worry in their voice. Whether they mean Riven or Savathûn, xe cannot tell.

Petra sighs. _“Riven has always liked riddles and word games. She’s crafty. She wants to tempt you, to make you give in. To have you **wish**.”_

“That won’t happen,” Darra replies firmly. “But we still have to figure out how to activate the plates without the relics or Techeuns.”

“We can use our own Light,” Laine replies, striding back into the central room and staring up at the mechanism. “The trouble is Darkness. That’s where the Taken will come in, I assume.”

 _“I’ll confer with the Techeuns,”_ Petra says. _“For now, stay put.”_

 _“I am going to talk with Petra,”_ Ikora replies next. _“I hate asking you to wait, but we need to do this safely.”_

The comms go quiet. Laine knows that Vadim and Zavala are still listening in, so they’re not completely alone. But still the silence feels loud, the Taken energy from the air choking xir lungs. Xe takes a seat against a nearby wall, bringing xir hand up and watching as xir Ghost flashes into existence. “Haven? Could you get some scans of the plates? Be careful, if anything seems off come right back to me.”

“On it,” he replies, sending a wave of warmth through the light at xim before he floats over to the nearest plate and starts scanning.

Laine leans xir head back against the wall, just focusing on xir breathing for a bit.

_**“Do you want to remember?”** _

Laine’s eyes snap open, looking around. No one else has reacted to the voice, its tone layered over itself with a feminine lilt. Xe hisses in annoyance, squeezing xir eyes shut.

 _ **“Oh, don’t be like that,”**_ Riven croons, and Laine tenses when xe realizes the voice is now gentle and warm, the words in Sámi and the familiar yet unknown man’s voice clawing at the confines of xir memory. _**“There’s so much knowledge locked away in that head of yours, so many wonders. So many loved and lost.”**_ Laine catches a flash of dark hair, blue eyes, and a kind smile. The feeling of being wrapped in a blanket and carried and sang to and loved.

Xir shoulders tense, and Riven laughs, the voice joyous and light and feminine. _**“You certainly have got from a little wave to a big storm, haven’t you?”**_ These words are in a different language, the voice full of warmth and love. _**“You can’t remember how much they loved you. You can’t even remember their names or faces. I know you want to.”**_

Hair as vibrant as xir own, hands held in xirs (xir hands are small, so small) and spinning xim, laughing and singing-

The voice changes again, deep and gliving over xir skin. It reminds xim of dark eyes and whispered reassurances, of love and stability. _**“Do you not miss them? Do you not care? Do you not love them? Do you not want to know?”**_

 _ **“No?”**_ The voice morphs into Mara Sov’s voice as she laughs again. _**“Oh you poor little thing, there is so much you don’t know.”**_

Laine’s hands go to cover where xir ears would be if xe wasn’t wearing a helmet, drawing xir legs to xir chest. “Shut up.” Xir voice is barely a whisper.

Riven laughs, voice morphing once more. _**“What about this?”**_ she mocks, voice morphing into Vadim’s, and Laine’s blood turns to ice. _**“You could protect them, you know. You could make sure they never get hurt again. You could make sure they live. Is that not what you want?”**_

 _ **“If not them, then what about me?”**_ Riven’s voice morphs into a child’s, pleading and sad. Xir daughter’s. Roksana’s. _**“You want to protect me, don’t you?”**_

 _ **“You can do it...if you’d only wish for it,”**_ Riven says, now using xir son Timur’s soft voice, stumbling over words like a toddler.

“Shut up,” Laine whispers, curling in on ximself more. “Shut UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP _**SHUT UP!**_ ”

Xe feels hands on xir shoulder, voices in xir ears and xir head. “Laine? Laine?!”

Someone forcibly shakes xim, and xe snaps out of it, looking up and seeing xir fireteam crowded around xim, Haven hovering before xim in concern. Slowly, Laine uncurls xir body from its current position, breathing rapid.

Parvati can tell what happened immediately. “Riven?”

Laine nods.

Willow reaches out and pats Laine on the shoulder. “Figured. She’s been trying to entice me, but I don’t give a fuck.”

That makes Laine snort with laughter. Haven flits forward and xe holds our xir hands for him to float over. “You worry me sometimes,” he says. “Don’t let her in.”

“I won’t, the voices she was using just...really god to me.” Laine leans forward and Haven bumps his shell against xir helmet before vanishing.

There’s a chime, and a separate channel opens up to Laine only. _“Whose voice was it?”_ Vadim asks softly, gentle voice sounding in xir ear and making xim relax.

Laine hesitates. _**“Yours.”**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Laine is not having a good time during Last Wish.
> 
> I had to look at the Vault encounter in Last Wish and try to think of how it'd actually work as a long. Also had to look at how reading actually works because I have read exactly once and usually just clear ads near the plates.
> 
> The people that Riven's voices are using are, in order:
> 
> -Ealjá, xir father  
> -Hoyali, xir mother  
> -Aamaq, xir (ex) wife  
> -Mara Sov  
> -Vadim, xir spouse (the Speaker)  
> -Roskana, xir daughter (with Vadim)  
> -Timur, xir son (with Vadim)
> 
> This chapter was originally written for Destcember 2020 Day 3: Dearest Wish.


	4. Eye for an Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willow is young and the world is cruel. But it doesn't have to be.

Willow sits perched on one of the fortress’ towers, her cloak fluttering in the blizzard as she looks through a sniper. The enemy, a group of other Risen, has broken through the town’s gates. They cut down anyone who opposes them, Risen and Lightless alike.

But most of the Lightless lay down their arms, falling in rank behind them. They take their weapons and torches, following behind these Iron Lords as they advance towards the Warlord’s fortress.

The child watches them through the scope of her sniper. She’s a teenager, really, but everyone thinks she’s younger than she is. No one gives her much of a glance.

That’s exactly why the Warlord Michela uses her as an agent.

Her Ghost, Fallen Leaves, materializes over her shoulder, looking from the scope to the scene below as the crowd moves towards the fortress she’s watching from. “You could shoot them. Take out the leader, maybe get his Ghost too.”

“I could,” Willow replies. “But we both know I won’t.”

Fall hums in approval, and Willow lowers her scope. When she was a newborn, freshly resurrected, terrified, and alone, Michela had found her. She’d seen a use for her immediately, but put up a front of kindness, offering to take the newborn Risen under her wing and give her shelter and a home.

By the time Willow had realized, it was too late.

Her options were to join Michela, or die. She’d just awakened into this life, and had no desire to leave it. So she’d fallen in line and bit her tongue, a secret agent of Michela to go among the people of the town unseen.

No one would suspect a young teenager to be a Risen. No one would expect a young teenager to be a spy.

She’s passed unnoticed among the people for so long, even among Michela’s other Risen. She’s acted as a spy. A saboteur. An assassin.

No more.

“We’re done,” Willow declares. “I’m done.”

She has him stow her sniper rifle, and assumes the persona of a young girl once more, smoothing her dress and readjusting her cloak, throwing the hood over her head. She jumps off the wall, letting herself free-fall down the side of the fortress, the wind whipping through her shoulder length hair and making her thick cloak behind her.  
A burst of Light stops her descent, another burst giving her time to bend her knees and land smoothly on the ground. She’s in an alleyway in between some of the houses that are pressed against the fortress walls, her boots crunching on the snow as she turns and looks around. No one has seen her. 

Good.

Distant gunshots and an explosion or two can be heard in the background, but above it all is the clamor of angry voices. Willow stows a handcannon in the layers of her dress before she weaves her way through the streets, following the people drifting towards the center of town. Soon the trickle becomes a throng and suddenly there are people crowded around her and jeering with axes, knives, and other makeshift weapons in their hands. A few even have guns.

Willow swallows her nervousness and moves with the sea of people, using her small stature to duck in between people and slowly move towards the front of the crowd.

The guards at this point have turned, opening the great fortress gate, an ugly contraption of welded together iron scrap. The two Risen in charge of the gate look down at the crowd, one clenching the other’s hand tightly.

They were in a similar position to Willow, tricked and forced. She holds no animosity to them.

There’s little fighting as the crowd makes its way through the fortress’ inner courtyard to the great keep at the middle. Most of the guards have given up, seeing the crowd. Willow is almost to the front, and in between people she can see the Risen who led the attack on the village.

There’s three of them, though there were more when the battle started. No doubt the others have been left behind in the village or are further back in the crowd, trying to keep order. The largest of them is a great hulk of a man in thick plate armor and a cloak of fur. He’s older, with lines on his face and grey streaks in his hair, a sword in his hand and a shield on his arm.

The other two are younger, a man in fur-trimmed robes with a long back braid and calculating dark brown eyes. Willow swears he stares right at her as he glances back before someone moves in front of her view.

The last is the hardest to see, not being much taller than herself. She has to balance on her tiptoes as she walks, and sees a young woman with warm brown skin and a half shaved head of brown curls, a frown on her face as she looks around the courtyard.

“What’s a kid doing up here?” someone mumbles, tapping her on the shoulder. “Hey girl, you shouldn’t be up here, ‘s not safe.”

“Oh shove it, leave her be,” another hisses. “She’s as much of a right to be here as any of us.”

Oh, if only they knew.

 _[“Careful,”]_ Fall says through their bond, worry in his voice.

 _[“I know,”]_ she replies, careful to avoid being trampled as they approach the doors to the keep proper.

The three Risen stop in front of the heavy wooden and metal door, the crowd halting behind them. There are other ways in, but this is the easiest. Willow holds her breath as she waits to see what the three will do, the largest turning and looking towards the black-haired man in the robes.

“Timur,” he says, motioning at the door with his word. “Can you take care of that?”

The black haired man smirks. “With pleasure.” He turns to the crowd behind them, over a hundred eyes on him, but appears unbothered. “You’re all going to want to back away.”

No one gets why until the Risen gives a Light-propelled jump in the air and hovers there, and the crowd scrambles back as the Risen, Timur, lets out an explosion of void Light aimed at the door. Willow trips over her own feet as people back into her in their haste to get away, stumbling and falling back. Someone grabs one of her wrists and hauls her to her feet and back with them, and Willow looks up and sees an older woman with grey hair and weathered features who nods stiffly at her.

When she looks up again the door is gone, and with it some of the stone. It’s like it’d been disintegrated. Willow shudders, remembering the strange and chilling song of the void the few times she’d used it. She prefers the hum of arc instead.

The three Risen lead the charge inside and the crowd surges forward again. Willow makes sure to keep on the heels of the people in front of her as they rush through the entryway and into the main hall.

Michela has already been restrained, several guards dead at her feet. The Risen who were her enforcers must have either run or joined the crowd themselves. Three of them, who were the quietest and kept out of trouble the most, are pointing guns and swords at Michela, knelt before her lavish throne.

Willow pushes forward till she’s just behind the people at the front of the crowd, watching the largest Risen stride forward. “Michela,” he says simply, looking down at her. “It appears that “your” people have had enough of you.”

“Fuck you, Radegast,” Michela snarls, glaring at him from under messy blonde locks and spitting blood in his direction. “This isn’t over.”

Her eyes flicker to Willow in the crowd, finding her immediately. She resists the urge to shrink back into herself, to disappear into the crowd and run. Run until she can’t run anymore. Just as long as she’s far from this place.

Michela looks from Willow to Radegast and the others and then back, murderous intent in her eyes. It’s a clear order. An order to attack them, to cause a distraction. So Michela can free herself, so she can seize hold of everyone and continue her reign of terror.

No.

“No,” Willow whispers, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “No!” She says louder, pushing her way through the people in front of her and glaring straight at Michela. “It’s over.”

The smaller brown haired Risen makes a sound of concern, her honey colored eyes wide as she moves towards Willow. “This isn’t a place for children-”

“Wait, Efrideet.” The Risen named Radegast holds an arm out to her, his eyes focused on Willow. The one named Efrideet makes a concerned sound, but does not stop her as she strides up to Michela and glares down at her.

“For too long, you have kept this place, these _people_ , under a chokehold,” she hisses, growing bolder with each and every word. “For too long you have used and abused, for too long you have sought out those of us who are scared and vulnerable and cloaked yourself in the guise of a friend, only to turn around and threaten and trap people so you can bend them to your will. We have had ENOUGH!”

The crowd cheers with her words, and Willow feels emboldened, glaring down at the person who has had her muzzled and leashed for years. “You can’t control us anymore.”

“You little bitch!” Michela snarls, face contorted with rage. “I should have left you to die when I found you shivering in the snow!”

“But you didn’t.” Willow smirks, leaning in a bit. “And here you are.”

With a scream of rage, Michela launches herself at Willow, solar Light blazing at her fingertips. She hears Efrideet cry in alarm as several people lunge for her and Michela. But she’s quicker.

Willow’s hand finds the handcannon stowed in the layers of her dress and draws it in a single motion. She gets some satisfaction as she raises it and sees the look in Michela’s eyes as she realizes what Willow has in her hand.

She pulls the trigger.

A single shot echoes through the room.

Michela’s body falls at her feet.

The room is silent.

Willow turns to look at the other Risen, her expression unreadable and her dress covered in blood. Efrideet is staring at her in shock, Timur in fascination. Radegast’s expression is concerned.

As the room erupts in cheers, the people celebrating the death of the tyrant who has oppressed them for decades, he moves forward as a presence flashes into existence next to Willow. She looks down and sees Michela’s Ghost. They stare down at their Risen’s body, not saying a word, not moving. Radegast holds out a hand, and the Ghost hesitates a moment before floating to rest over it.

“I would suggest you leave her like that and find another that is more worthy of the Light,” Radegast says gently.

The Ghost sighs. “You’re right. I’ve been afraid of her, too. She needed me for one reason and one reason only. This wasn’t what I had in mind when I resurrected her.”

“I am sure all Ghosts think such things,” Timur says as he moves forward. “Unfortunately, power goes to some people’s heads easier than others.”

The villagers have spread out, moving through the keep and stripping the place. It’s extravagant, lavish. Michela hoarded everything for herself. Now the people can see the fruits of their labors after being exploited for years.

Willow watches them silently. Radegast turns to her. “I would normally say an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, and that revenge leads nowhere. But that’s not applicable in this situation. You did well, young one. I have never met one of our number that is so young. What’s your name?”

“Willow,” she says, and Fall appears over her shoulder and hides behind her shyly. “This is Fallen Leaves.”

“Hello,” he says softly, nodes shifting. “Who are you?”

“We’re called the Iron Lords,” Radegast replies. “We seek to protect the people instead of ruling over them, serving the Light and the Traveler. We have liberated many villages such as this one.”

“I’ve been afraid for years,” she says softly. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He studies her, tilting his head. “You know, we are always looking for Risen to join our cause. There’s a lot of people out there that need our help.”

Willow hesitates. And Radegast sees her hesitation. He pats her on the shoulder. “I understand. Not wanting to take anyone else’s orders, hmm?”

“Not really,” she admits. “I’d like to forge my own path.”

“Hmm.” Timur strides forward, looking at Willow with a tilt of his head. “How about this - there’s a settlement growing beneath the Traveler, many people gathering there.”

“I’ve heard of it. Some people have wanted to leave for a while.”

“And they’re able to now. I have no doubt many people will want to leave. They’ll need protection. Think you can manage that?”

Willow laughs. “I think I could.”

“My sibling stays at the settlement beneath the Traveler to help people. You don’t have to stay, but seek them out and talk to them. I know they and others are trying to organize some kind of structure in that settlement.”

“Thank you.” And she does mean it. She has a lot to consider now, a lot of options, now that she’s free.

Someone’s taken Michela’s body away already, probably to burn it. With it goes the last remnants of the chains holding her here.

“Um…” It’s Michela’s former Ghost, hovering near her anxiously. “Can I come with you? To the place beneath the Traveler. I have...a lot to think about.”

Willow hesitates, but nods. The Ghost hasn’t done anything to her. They sigh in relief.

As Willow walks towards the exit of the keep, she thumbs the worn bronze amulet she wears under her clothes, the only remnant of her previous life she has.

She smiles as she steps back out into the snow and faces the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a different OC than I've been using. Meet Willow! She's 15, a Hunter, and her faceclaim is Maisie Williams.
> 
> Cameo from some of the Iron Lords as well. And I wonder if anyone has an inkling of who Timur's sibling is :3
> 
> This chapter was originally written for Destcember 2020 Day 4: Eye for an Eye.


	5. Nightmare Before Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes old wounds can cause new nightmares.

Laine wakes in a field of red flowers, a green tinged sky over her head.

This is not where xe fell asleep. Xe and Vadim had just put their children to bed. Xe was in Vadim’s arms, xir head nestled against their chest and listening to the steady beat of their heart. Safe, secure, and loved.

Not _here_. 

Xe instantly recognizes where _here_ is.

The vision of the Black Garden that the Darkness pulled xir into stretches before xim, pyramids floating in the cloudy green skies. Xe sits up, looking around warily, fingers tangling in the grass as xe stands up. Xe’s still in xir nightgown, the white fabric blowing in the wind.

“What do you want from me?” Laine whispers into the wind, closing xir eyes and turning their face up to the sky as xe takes a deep breath. Xir hands clench at xir sides and xe whips around, looking around wildly as anger courses through xir body. “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!”

A sob escapes xir lips, and xe falls to xir knees, weaving xir fingers into xir dreadlocks and pulling at xir hair in distress. “Leave me alone, LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Laughter echoes from behind xim.

Xir blood runs cold. Laine stands back up slowly, closing xir eyes and counting to ten. Then, xe turns around, dreading what xe’ll find.

 _ **It**_ stands there, wearing xir spouse’s face and garbed in dark robes. It is not them because Vadim’s face has never been twisted in a malicious smile like that, never looked upon them with cruelty.

“We were wondering when we’d see you again,” the Darkness coos in a sickly sweet voice, mocking xim with a twisted version of the voice that comforts in xir lowest moments. “We knew you’d be here once more.”

Anger wells up in Laine’s chest, burning through xir body and making xim clench xir fists. This is not the first time the Darkness has appeared in xir dreams, after what happened on Luna.

And xe is **sick** of it.

Xe is afraid to sleep, afraid of the Darkness plaguing xir dreams. Vadim helps as much as they can, opening the bond between them and letting the Traveler’s Light burn away the Darkness. But sometimes, it still sneaks through.

Laine knows why.

The Darkness stands there, smirking at them, the white hair of its stolen body bowing in the soft wind, black robes rustling around its form. It doesn’t even have to say anything.

“Leave me alone,” Laine hisses. “You’ve had your fun, now _leave me alone_!”

It _**laughs**_.

“Oh, you poor little thing,” it mocks, striding forward until it's standing only a few feet away from xim. “You know as well as I do that won’t happen.”

It leans forward, Vadim’s stolen face stretching into an unsettling grin. “We will _**never**_ leave you alone.”

“Fuck you,” Laine hisses, taking a step back. “What do you want from me?!”

“We want _you_. And we will get you. It may take time, but you will come to us. You don’t have a choice. You will be ours in the end.”

_**“Never.”** _

More laughter, sending chills up Laine’s spine. Xe takes another step back, grass and flowers crunching under xir feet. But for every step xe takes back, the Darkness takes a step closer.

“There is nowhere to run. There is no escape. Wherever you go, we will find you. We are **your** salvation. Your Traveler cannot save you now.”

“I would rather die than submit to you,” Laine snarls, fists clenched at xir side. “No matter what, you will not have me, I will not let you in! I swear it! Now _**fuck off**_!”

“Oh you poor thing. You poor, sweet, _dear_ thing.” The Darkness takes two steps forward and before Laine can move, grabs xir face and leans close, staring right into xir eyes. Its ice cold hands burn xir skin and xe cries out in pain. “The Darkness is already a part of you. It has been for years. It will grow and spread and you will _fall_.”

The scar on Laine’s back _burns_ ice cold and xe screams in agony. The last thing xe is aware of is the Darkness’ twisted laugh before everything goes black.

* * *

Laine wakes up screaming, thrashing and sobbing and tangling the sheets around ximself. Immediately xe feels arms wrap around xim, drawing xim to a warm body, and xe thrashes harder before xe realizes who it is.

Xir hands tangle in Vadim’s nightgown and xir arms wrap around them as xe clings to them and sobs, eyes squeezed shut and tears running down xir face. Vadim rocks them both on the bed, leaning their head down against xirs and whispering softly to xim in City Common, and then switching to Sámi.

_“You’re okay. You’re safe. Nothing can hurt you here. I have you.”_

Laine’s sobs quiet to hiccups soon, Vadim’s words turning into soft bums as they continue to hold xim. Xe isn’t sure how long has passed when xe looks up at Vadim, who brushes a couple of stray dreads out of xir face.

“Your accent in Sámi is horrible,” xe mumbles, pressing xir face into Vadim’s chest again as they start to laugh.

“Hey, I’m trying,” they tease lightly. “It’s better than my accent in Huli.” But their laughter dies and they lean and press a kiss to Laine’s hair. “I could feel your distress through the Light. It woke me up just before you started thrashing. What happened?”

Laine moves so that xe’s fully laying in Vadim’s arms, biting xir lip as they look up at their concerned face. Tears well in xir eyes again. “I saw _**it**_ again. It wore your face.”

Vadim’s brows furrow in concern, and they bring one hand up to cradle Laine’s cheek. “Oh, my heart. I’m so sorry. I’m here. It can pretend all it wants, but it is not me.”

Xe squeezes xir eyes shut. The scar on xir back still burns. “That’s not what scares me.”

That makes Vadim pause, and Laine feels the spike of fear through their bond. “Then what does?”

“It said it’s already part of me. That it’ll consume me and I’ll fall to it.”

Vadim is silent.

Laine presses xir face into their shoulder.

Haven appears in a flash, hovering at Laine’s shoulder. A beam of Light flashes out, running a scan over his Guardian. He flinches, nodes shifting in distress. “Something’s wrong. I…”

“The scar,” Vadim says, and Laine feels the dread pooling in xir stomach at the words.

“It _touched_ me and it _burned_.”

Vadim lets go of xim, and xe mourns the loss of their comforting arms. “Turn around. Let me see.”

Laine sits up reluctantly, turning so that xir back is facing Vadim, biting xir lip and trying to stop the tears from coming. Vadim gently lifts the back of xir nightgown to see the scar in the middle of xir back. They say nothing and nausea builds in Laine’s stomach.

“How bad is it?” xe asks, xir voice barely above a whisper.

“Bad,” Vadim replies, and Laine gives a yelp of pain as their fingers press against the corruption scar. They recoil as if burned. “The Light has kept it at bay for years, but with the Darkness coming…”

“It’s spreading.” Laine’s voice is barely above a whisper. “Vadim…”

“We cannot despair.” They wrap their arms around Laine from behind, pressing a kiss to xir shoulder. “It will not take you, I swear it. I will contact Eris in the morning. For now, we should rest. It is not yet dawn.”

“They’re right.” Haven floats into Laine’s field of vision again. “There’s not going to be an immediate solution to this. You need rest. You know, before the kids wake you up.”

Laine smiles at that, but it doesn’t reach xir eyes. “I don’t know if I can sleep.” The admission is quiet, xir voice cracking.

Vadim’s gentle hands turn xim around, drawing the covers back and then taking xim into their arms as they lay down. Laine’s head is nestled beneath their chin as they wrap their arms around xim. “Open your mind. I’ve got you.”

Xe is so tired. Xe doesn’t want to fight anymore. All xe wants is _rest_.

Closing xir eyes, Laine opens xir end of their bond, letting everything show through. All xir thoughts and feelings are bare to Vadim. They do the same, and Laine can feel all their worry and love at once, feel the steady beat of their heart and the rise and fall of their chest.

Their Light resonates together, entwining like it was always that way, woven together and unable to be separated. They hum at the same frequency, more of one mind than two.

And then Vadim opens up their connection to the Traveler fully, and Her song fills xir entire being, the heartbeat of the entire universe beating in xir ears.

It is to this that Laine finally falls asleep, and xir dreams are filled with Light and light and laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Laine has a corruption scar on xir back. How'd xe get it? You'll have to find out :)
> 
> And in the regards to the languages Vadim mentions, Laine is half Sámi half Melanesian (Huli in particular). A lot of my Guardians have vague memories and some knowledge of their backgrounds, but not all.
> 
> This chapter was originally written for Destcember 2020 Day 5: Nightmare Before Dawn.


	6. Triad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know much, but this is all that matters… you are not alone.

Laine takes a deep breath, looking over xir weapons, spread out on the kitchen table in xir apartment in the Tower. Xe’s checked and rechecked everything. There’s no more reason to stall. Every moment counts. The longer the Heart of the Black Garden lives, the weaker the Traveler becomes. 

This is it. There’s not going to be any turning back from this.

“Are you afraid?” Haven asks softly, flashing into existence in front of them. “Because I am. I know this is important...but I don’t want to die.”

“I am.” Laine’s admission is quiet as xe checks xir gear over, dressed in their sturdiest robes. Xe secures the clasps of xir gauntlets with a tug. “But I don’t think we have much of a choice. For whatever reason, this...Stranger is guiding us. This is something _we_ have to do. I don’t know why she didn’t choose someone else more capable, someone older.”

“The Speaker is starting to think you’re touched by the Traveler in some way,” Haven says, transmatting some ammo synths off the table and into his inventory.

Laine snorts at that, reaching up and pulling xir hair back with a hair tie. “You’ve heard what they say when we talk. I think they’re desperate for any sign of hope, and we may be it. I certainly don’t... _ **feel**_ touched by the Light or anything, at least not more than any other Guardian is. However that’s supposed to feel.”

Haven only hums at that. Laine knows he doesn’t know any more than xe does. It’s a mystery to both of them, why this is happening.

Xe’d spoken with the Speaker and Vanguard earlier. There’s no reason to delay now.

“Let’s go,” they murmur, securing a pulse rifle to xir back.

Both of them are silent as they walk to the hangar, a few Guardians staring as Laine walks past. Word of xir deeds has started to spread, the Guardian and Ghost duo that stopped the Hive from draining the Traveler’s Light and broke through the Exclusion Zone.

It’s a lot to live up to.

Right now, Laine’s just hoping xe lives at all after this.

Xe descends into the lower levels of the hangar, finding where xir ship is docked in one of the bays facing the City. Before xe heads up the lowered ramp xe stops, taking a long look at the Traveler and the City stretching to the horizon beneath it.

Laine is not one to pray. The Traveler is a force of the universe, not a god. But it’s the closest thing there is right now.

Xe prays for safety, for guidance, for success.

With a sigh, Laine turns back to xir ship, only to jump in surprise when xe sees two other figures there, fully armed and armored. A Hunter with short black hair flips a knife in their hand casually, watching Laine with narrowed brown eyes, their other hand on their hip. An Awoken Titan, with shoulder length purple hair and orange eyes, taps her purple fingers against her plate armor and levels xim with a stare.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Ellend, the Hunter, says crossly. “We saw you talking with the Vanguard earlier.”

“Nowhere,” Laine mumbles, avoiding xir fireteam members’ eyes. Xe doesn’t want to put them in danger. They’ve been better friends than xe could ask for.

“Liar,” Darra, the Titan, hisses. “Cayde has quite a loose tongue. Metaphorically speaking.”

Laine groans. “Fuck.”

“Don’t give us that,” Ellend retorts. “Were you really going to go into the _**Black Garden**_ by yourself? That’s suicide!”

“Yes. And I know.” Laine looks down at xir feet. “I didn’t want to get anyone else killed if it goes south.”

Darra snorts, moving forward and clasping Laine on the shoulder. “You know things are more likely to go south if you have no one there to watch your back.”

Xe looks doubtfully up at Darra, then over at Ellend. “You both know this isn’t something that is likely to succeed. It’s tricking our way into the Black Garden and killing its heart. We don’t really know what’s in there. It’s practically a suicide mission.”

“Oh, we know,” Ellend’s Ghost, Nyota, remarks as she floats up to look at Laine and Haven. “But doing something is better than sitting around and waiting for the world to collapse around us.”

“Exactly,” Ellend agrees, poking one of Nyota’s nodes, and she huffs.

“We’re a fireteam,” Darra says. “We’re _friends_. And we’re not letting you do this alone.”

Laine rolls xir eyes, but there’s a good natured smile on xir face. “Fine. It’s your funeral.”

“Bold of you to assume there will be enough of us left to have a funeral,” Ellend quips back, and Darra punches them in the arm.

“You know it might not work, right? I’m gonna be tricking the gate into thinking I’m a Gatelord. I’m not sure if it’ll work for all of us or just me. And when we go into the Black Garden I’m not sure if the Vex will prevent us from getting back out.” Laine holds out both xir hands, and Ellend and Darra place both their hands in one of xirs.

“We know,” Darra says firmly. “We talked about it. We’re with you, Laine. You shouldn’t have to do this alone. We’re a team.”

“And you know what they say,” Ellend says wryly. “Guardians come in threes.”

Darra’s Ghost, Starlight, appears in a flash, looking between each of them. “I’ve sent a message to the Vanguard that all three of you will be undertaking the mission. They send their blessings and their hope.” She pauses. “The Speaker sends them as well.”

Ellend snorts. “Always thought that guy was creepy.”

“Nah, they’re alright,” Laine says. Haven snickers through their connection and xe jabs at him before turning to xir ship. “Alright, let’s not waste any time.”

“Let’s kick some ass,” Ellend says with a raised fist, their cloak flowing behind them as they follow Laine onto the ship. Darra signs, following after them and shaking their head.

* * *

The three of them stand among the grass and stone of the Black Garden, eyes fixated on the writhing mass of Darkness surrounded by prostrating Vex.

“So,” Haven remarks, cautiously appearing just over Laine’s shoulder. “Think you can kill a god?”

“Don’t think I have a choice,” Laine replies, voice full of awe and fear and determination all wrapped up into one.

“Eww.” Nyota peers out from Ellend’s hood. “It’s uglier than I thought.”

“Evil _and gross_. Double whammy,” Ellend agrees.

“Focus,” Starlight snaps, drawing all their attention. “We’re here for a reason.”

“She’s right,” Darra says, nodding to her Ghost. She reloads her shotgun. “For the City.”

“For Earth.” Ellend’s hands glow with void energy, drawing an ethereal bow.

“For the Light and the Traveler.” Laine’s body feels aglow with the song of the universe, the energy of a thousand suns coursing through xir veins. “Let’s go!”

And with that, the trio of Guardians jump down together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quote is from the Philomath Bond, which happens to be my masterworked bond ingame.
> 
> I struggled a lot with this one when initially writing it. But Laine tends to be a self sacrificing idiot and take a lot of burdens on ximself. Luckily xir friends won't let xim do everything alone.
> 
> This chapter was originally written for Destcember 2020 Day 6: Triad.


	7. Beyond Stasis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laine has gone this far. Xe does not want to go any further.

Laine stares into the small fire in the Stranger’s campsite, cross-legged in the snow as the wind whips xir robes around xim. The fire provides the barest amount of warmth, and xe wonders how it’s even still burning in the frigid temperatures. And where the Stranger - _Elsie_ \- found wood.

It’s enough for xim to take xir helmet off at least, instead wearing a thick scarf wrapped loosely over xir head and lower face, a few red braids and xir glowing blue eyes the only things visible.

Xir Light hums within xim, a comforting presence that fills xim with warm, just as it always has. But there’s something else humming beneath xir skin, colder and more alien and sharp like a knife. Xe shudders as a sudden chill runs through xim, huddling close to the fire and trying to ignore how the spike of fear makes the feeling flare.

Darkness.

It’s alien, unfamiliar. Like it’s an intruder in xir body instead of something woven through xir being. It does not comfort like the Light does. It does not soothe like the Light does. Instead it feels like if xe reaches for it, it will devour xim like a black hole.

Laine does not trust it. Xe does not like it. Xe wants nothing to do with it, but xe had no _choice_. It was either accept it or be taken over by the corruption spreading through xir body.

Xe feels more frightened and alone than ever.

The snow crunches next to xim and Laine is torn from xir thoughts, looking up as someone crouches down next to xim. It’s Eris, gazing at xim with her three glowing green eyes, sitting cross-legged on the ground next to xim. She appears unbothered by the cold.

Laine nods at her, looking back to the fire. Eris hums, folding her hands in her lap.

“You appear troubled, Laine,” she says finally.

Xe gives a snort, peering at her over xir scarf. “That’s an understatement.”

Eris’ sighs, looking over at xim. Laine meets her eyes reluctantly, the green orbs glowing beneath her blindfold. “I know how you’re feeling,” she says after a moment. “I struggled with much of the same feelings when I lost my Light. When I was cursed with Hive magic and tainted with the Darkness. I was as frightened as you are now.”

“I’m not frightened.”

“Do not lie to me, I can see it in your eyes.” Eris sighs. She weaves a crystal of stasis in her hands, and Laine flinches.

Eris stops, studying xim for a moment. Xe shifts in discomfort, looking away. The silence stretches between them, the cold biting at Laine more than ever.

The Light feels so distant. And the Darkness so cold.

Finally, Eris speaks again. “It will eat away at you, if you fear it. It _feeds_ on fear. Feed it and it _will_ consume you until there is nothing left.”

Laine laughs bitterly. “How can I not fear it? It is everything I have been told I’m fighting against. Now I’m supposed to use it? It is a thing of death. All it has ever done is _**kill**_.” Xe draws xir robes closer to ximself, shivering and staring at the fire. “I don’t want to lose myself.”

“Look at me, Laine.” Eris’ voice is sharp, and Laine reluctantly looks towards her. “Do you think me tainted, consumed? Have I fallen to the Darkness?”

“No. But this is different, Eris.” Laine shudders. “I couldn’t...I couldn’t control myself when it called to me. It took over Haven and I couldn’t resist the pull. It was like my body wasn’t my own. It was so cold it _burned_. You should...you should have seen how bad the scar on my back was when I arrived here. I haven’t seen my family in weeks, I haven’t seen my _spouse_ in weeks. I was afraid of hurting them, hurting our children.”

“The wound Ir Yût cut in your Light is deep. I, too, know what it is like to hear that call, to feel that pull. To feel as if I’m not in control of myself.” She reaches out, placing a hand on Laine’s shoulder. “This is why you must not let your fear control you. This is why you must face the Darkness head on and take it for yourself. It wants you to be corrupted. It wants you to be afraid. What better way to fight back than to take the power it wants you to be corrupted by and use it against it?”

Laine is silent for a moment, mulling over Eris’ words. “What if this is what it wants? What if I am playing exactly into its hands by taking stasis? The Stranger said that in the timeline she came from, I fell to the Darkness. What if it happens again?”

“It expects you to fall, not to preserve,” Eris replies. “I said before: this is not a gift. This is a tool stolen from the enemy. Taking the knife turned against you and turning it against your assailant. If you let your fear consume you, you _will_ fall because of your own despair.” She stares at the fire. “I do not know exactly what happened where the Stranger came from, but I can ascertain some things from the way she looks at me.”

That makes Laine’s head snap up. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean. That you were not the only one to drown in the Deep.” Eris sighs. “But this is different. She herself said that this is the first timeline where anything has truly changed. Things are different. You are not the same person that fell. And neither am I.”

She leans closer. “I do not blame you for being afraid. What’s the saying? That the only time a person can be truly brave is when they’re afraid.”

Eris places both hands on Laine’s shoulders, giving xim a comforting squeeze. “So be brave.”

Laine takes a deep, shaky breath. Xe tries to push past that fear, past the ice gripping xir heart. Fear is what it wants. Seize it, do not fear it.

“It’ll take time,” xe says finally. “It’s hard not to fear something that you’ve been told is evil. It’s hard not to feel tainted.”

“I know.” Eris’ voice is different. “Believe me, Laine. I know.”

Her hands fall from Laine’s shoulders. And silence stretches between the two of them. It’s not quite awkward, but not quite comfortable either.

“Eris?”

Eris looks up at Laine again, and xe resists the urge to curl into ximself. “What if this isn’t it? What if we go beyond stasis? What if, in fighting, we become what we’re fighting against?”

Laine avoids her eyes, staring off into the distance at the Pyramid hovering there. “I remember...a saying. Dive deep, but doesn’t drown. How do we know when we’ve gone too deep?”

There’s the crunch of snow again, and when Laine looks back, Eris is right next to xim, their shoulders brushing as she settles. “Laine,” she says after a moment. “I am asking you this not as an ally, but as a friend. Do you trust me?”

“Of course.” The response is automatic, without any hesitation.

Eris sighs in relief. Laine pretends not to notice it.

“Then trust me when I say that will not come to pass.”

Laine takes a deep, shaky breath. Xir whole body rises and falls with the inhale. “Okay,” xe says softly, almost inaudible. “Okay.”

Xe reaches up and runs at xir eyes, wiping the tears that have been pooling there before they crystallize in the frigid air. Eris sits next to xim awkwardly.

“Would...you like a hug?”

Now that makes xim laugh. Eris sounds so unsure about it. “If you’re offering.”

“I am.” 

Laine nods, and Eris wraps an arm around Laine and draws xim to her side. Laine leans xir head against Eris’ shoulder, feeling her tense momentarily before she relaxes a bit. It’s not the best hug xe’s ever gotten, but Eris is trying, and that’s what really matters.

They stay like that until the distant sun dips below the horizon and the stars shine bright in the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly me trying to make myself feel better about taking stasis bc ho boy that is one narrative decision that makes me go "hmmm bad". Laine and Eris are very good friends, and they trust each other a lot, so I think this is a conversation they needed to have.
> 
> This chapter was originally written for Destcember 2020 Day 7: Beyond Stasis.


	8. Tyrant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It feels like every ounce of hope has been beaten out of her, crushed beneath a conqueror's boot.
> 
> **(Warning: This chapter contains mentions of torture and injury)**

Ghaul keeps them in separate cells sometimes.

It’s to keep them isolated, alone. _Vulnerable._

It’s quite effective.

When they’re not strung up like sacrifices, Zufash and her father are thrown into cells. Their wounds are given the barest amount of treatment so they won’t get infected, and they’re given just enough nutrition to survive.

Day in and day out. They’re scarcely left alone.

She’d woken up in a separate cell after Ghaul had knocked her out after she screamed at him to leave her father alone. Her father, the Speaker, pleaded with her to stop. She knew what they really meant. That she was playing right into Ghaul’s hands, that he was trying to get information out of them by torturing one in front of the other.

Zufash doesn’t care.

The next thing she knows she’s waking up on the floor of a cell, the orange Cabal shields being the first thing she sees. Her entire body aches, her head spinning, and she reaches up and feels blood crusted in her hair and flinches at the splash of pain.

Her wounds have been slathered in whatever gel they use to close them, and bound with bandages. She’s been dressed in a clean black shift. But that doesn’t stop the blood seeping through the bandages over the constantly aggravated wounds on her wrists and ankle. It takes her a moment to sit up, and an even longer amount of time to get her legs underneath her. 

She crawls on her hands and knees to the meager mattress on the floor and curls up on her side, drawing her knees to her chest. And she _sobs_.

This isn’t the first time she’s sobbed like this during her captivity. She’s alone, she wants her father’s comforting arms, for them to whisper to her and tell her that everything will be okay and kiss her hair like they’ve done since she was a baby.

Most of all, she wants to go home. Never has she felt so small, so vulnerable. Her head is so quiet, the Traveler’s song silenced. The familiar hum of the Light reduced to nothing. Even Renata is gone, caged with Mariya wherever the Cabal are holding them.

She is completely and utterly alone.

Ghaul wants the Light, he wants the Traveler’s favor. Zufash knows that the web of lies she and her father are spinning is the only thing stopping him from forcibly taking the Light, then destroying the Traveler and the entire Sol system. Buying the Guardians _time_.

It doesn’t make it much easier. Not when knives are cutting into her flesh and electricity coursing through her veins.

She just wants out.

It takes time for the sobs to quiet, and she eventually drifts into a fitful sleep. She’s woken hours later, when the cell’s lights have been turned low, by a tapping against the nearby wall. Zufash sits up, a small smile on her face as she crawls towards the wall and lays against it, giving a few taps back.

Ghaul may separate them, but sometimes they end up in cells next to each other.

It’s a comfort to know her father is still alive, that she won’t be left alone in this world.

She wishes there was something more she could do.

They are so close here, on this ship. To the Traveler, caged within that revolting mechanism. Zufash has seen it outside the window, in the chamber Ghaul brings them to to interrogate them. An intimidation tactic, she knows. 

She feels like she could almost feel the Light’s hum, if she just focuses…

Something inside her _**sparks**_.

The Light courses through her, spreading so fast that she cries out, falling on her side and gasping. Her mind is muddled, like something short circuited, hands sparking with arc Light.

This is not what she expected when she reached for the hum deep inside herself. She cannot hear the Traveler’s song. This Light is not from it.

She does not have time to think about where it could’ve come from. The only thing she can think of right now is _freedom_.

It’s a struggle to get to her feet, and she bites her lip so hard she tastes blood. But she’s gotten used to blood at this point, leaving behind smears of it on the cell wall as she braces a hand against it. Standing is agony, walking even more so. But she endures.

This Light is not as strong as she is used to, an ember rather than a flame. But it will do.

Arc courses from her hands as she clenched them at her sides, moving to stand in front of the shields. Zufash’s silver eyes flicker to the emitter mechanisms she knows are embedded in the doorframe.

The Light responds to her, just as easily as it did before all this. How long has it been? Weeks? Months? How long have they endured this torture?

No more.

Zufash raises her arms and arc surges from her hands, cracking through the air towards the frame of the cell. The shield glows bright orange for a moment, hexagons flaring across it, and the emitters start to spark. She takes a couple steps back, shielding her face with her arms as the emitters short out entirely, the shield falling.

She has to be quick, it’s only a matter of time before the Cabal notice. Pushing through the agony, she walks out of the cell warily, her bare feet making little sound. Small spots of blood leave a trail in her wake.

Her first priority is the cell next to her. She scrambles up to the shield, peering inside. It takes her a moment to make out her father, their ragged white robes standing out against the dreary cell. “Father!” she whispers hurriedly.

They hear her immediately, raising their head. Zufash sees their eyes widen as they scramble to their feet with a wince of pain, limping towards the shield and making her heart ache.

“Zufash?!” Vadim speaks in a hurried whisper. “How did you get out?!”

“The Light, I have some, I don’t know why-“

She can see their brows furrow, an unknown look in their eyes visible even from the other side of the shield. She doesn’t have time to ponder it, because in the next moment an alarm starts to blare.

Vadim looks at her in alarm, their eyes wide. “You have to go.”

“What?! No! I’m not leaving you, I have to get you out!” Zufash pleads, tears welling in her eyes and her voice cracking.

Her father steps closer to the barrier, holding a hand out. “You have to. I love you. I love you so, so much. Please, go. I’ll be okay.”

Tears run down Zufash’s face. “Dad…”

“Go, starshine.”

With a sob, Zufash tears her gaze away from them, running and sprinting down through the cellblock. She ducks into a space between two containers when she hears heavy footsteps approaching and the harsh speak of the Cabal language, a hand covering her mouth to keep her breathing from being heard.

She has to get out. She’s in no state to fight, with only limited Light at her disposal, and no Ghost to hack into unfamiliar technology or fly a ship.

The only thing she can think to do is get outside.

Zufash has a vague understanding of what direction leads to the top of the ship, from Ghaul bringing them to and from the cells and onto the ship. If she gets into a confrontation with any Cabal, she knows the chances of her surviving are slim.

So she runs.

The ground is painful against her bare feet, and every beat of her feet against the ground sends agony racing up her legs. Alarms blare in her ears, and she sprints down corridors and through doors that open before her. It’s amazing that the doors haven’t all locked down yet. They must not have planned for any of their prisoners ever escaping.

A few times she sees legionnaires running down the corridors towards her and she immediately disappears through the nearest door. Her heartbeat echoes in her ears and her breathing is rapid, her feet hitting the floor so fast and making turns so rapidly it almost feels like she’s not even guiding herself through the ship.

The next door she opens gives a blast of fresh air to her face, and she takes a shaky breath as she steps through the door and inhales deeply. The glow of the cage around the Traveler casts everything in orange, but she can see the scattered lights of the City beneath the ship. And above, a sky glittering with stars.

A shot lands at her feet and bounces off, and she is distinctly aware of her surroundings again as another strikes her shoulder and she cries out in pain.

They’re coming for her from all sides. She calls on the Light within her and surges into the air, jumping on the deck above the doorway. Arc coalesses into her hand and she throws it at the throng of soldiers, hearing a few cries of pain, and then sprits off in the opposite direction.

She can’t keep this up forever. Her body is running on adrenaline, ignoring the wounds on her ankles that make it hard to stand, the malnutrition and the sheer exhaustion. Eventually, it’ll run out.

Zufash can feel the blood run down from her ankles, sweat running down her face and her breaths coming in pants. Eventually, she has nowhere else to go. She skitters to a halt at the edge of the ship, looking down on the City miles below. All the agony courses through her body at once from the multiple wounds on her body, and she falls to her knees and screams, gasping for breath as she lays her forehead against the deck.

The Cabal surround her, pointing their weapons at her. A sob escapes her lips as thunderous footsteps sound across the deck.

Tears run down her face when she finally looks up and sees Ghaul there, the orange light casting shadows across her face.

Ghaul glares, his imposing figure looming over her. “I am not sure how you escaped, but it ends here. You have nowhere to run.”

Zufash glances behind her at the endless drop, black hair blowing in the wind, and then up at Ghaul.

He will not take her again.

“You think so?” she says hoarsely, struggling to her feet. “Because I don’t.”

The wind blows at her back, the Light humming in her veins.

Ghaul looks confused, the Red Legion surrounding her exchanging glances.

“No more,” she whispers. “No more!” She spits blood at Ghaul’s feet, and then raises her hand to give him the middle finger. “Fuck you.”

Zufash takes two steps back. She closes her eyes as her feet meet air, hair and black shift whipping around her.

And she _**falls**_.

The pain overwhelms her as she plummets, fading in and out of consciousness. She has enough sense to recognize when buildings start to appear around her, and gives a burst of Light to slow her descent. The ground is coming up fast. Another burst.

Her strength leaves her, the little Light she has left too little to do much more. She hits the ground hard, but not hard enough to kill her. Someone’s cry of alarm rings out and she feels a warm hand grip her wrist.

The blackness claims her after that, and Zufash knows nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me showing up 2 months late with Starbucks to post more of these
> 
> Yes there's an explanation for Zufash still having some Light. No I'm not telling you what it is <3
> 
> This chapter was originally written for Destcember 2020 Day 8: Tyrant.


	9. Blooming Gardens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Childhood is such a fleeting thing. You have to enjoy every moment.

“Daddy!” the little girl insists, stomping her little feet and causing her light blue dress to ripple around her. “Daddy daddy daddy daddy daddy!”

The Speaker gives an apologetic sound, looking up from the tablet they’ve been staring at. “I’m sorry, starshine. What is it?”

Zufash pouts. “Stop working!”

Vadim bursts into laughter.

That only makes her more insistent. “‘s not funny! You’re always working! You said we could play in the garden!”

Her Ghost appears over her shoulder, talking in a patient, gentle tone. “Zufash, your father has a very important job to do. A lot of people rely on them.”

“But they _promised_ , Renata!” Zufash runs up through the grass up to them, tugging at their sleeve and glaring down at the datapad. “You _promised_.”

Now they legitimately feel bad. There’s always something that requires their attention: Vanguard reports, petitions to the Consensus, Guardians that need help. But that doesn’t mean they should neglect their daughter. She’s two years old, and they’re admittedly still trying to find a balance between being the Speaker and being a parent.

“She’s right,” Vadim says, and both Zufash and her Ghost look up at him, Renata’s nodes shifting. “I did promise. And I should keep my promises, instead of just bringing her here to the gardens and sitting to do more work. I am sorry, Zufash. I promised you we could play, and I mean it.” Their own Ghost appears in a flash over their shoulder, and they wave the datapad at her. “Mariya, would you do the honors?”

“Gladly,” she replies, transmatting the datapad out of Vadim’s hand. “I’m glad you’re _finally_ listening to reason.”

Vadim rolls their eyes. “I don’t need you to lecture me.”

“Well _someone_ has to.”

Vadim rolls their eyes beneath their mask in response, trying not to think about how right she is.

Zufash giggles, and then shrieks in delight when Vadim opens their arms to her. She launches herself at them and they give an “oof!” as they catch her, nearly sending them both sprawling into the grass. She wraps her little arms around them as best as she can, giggling wildly, then looks up at their masked face with a frown on her little face.

Tiny hands tap at their mask. “Off.”

Vadim startles at that, pushing Zufash’s hands away gently. “That’s not the best idea, little one.”

That only makes her frown more. “Why? ‘s stupid and I hate it.” She taps at the side of it again. “Off!”

There are a million reasons why. When they were first revived, they could barely hear a whisper of the Traveler in its dreaming state. The mask helped, a device built to amplify the visions and whispers. But as the centuries have passed and they’ve understood and nurtured their connection and grown stronger in the Light, the mask’s use has grown. But few have seen their face in centuries. It’s tradition at this point.

Mariya prods at them through the Light again, looking over them and Zufash. “Go on,” she encourages. “I’ll keep an eye out for anyone entering the gardens. Just relax.”

They sigh at their Ghost’s mothering once more. Zufash cheers. “Seeee? Cmoooon!”

“Okay, okay!” After a moment of hesitation, Vadim removes the mask. Mariya immediately transmats it away so they can’t put it back on. Sneaky little shit. They pull the black headscarf off too and undo their white hair from its tight bun, sighing in relief as the pressure is relieved.

Zufash grins widely from their lap, and the first thing Vadim does is grab her and pepper her little face with kisses. She shrieks, laughing and trying to push them away. “No, daddy! No!”

Vadim lets go of her, grinning, and she jumps out of their arms, dashing to hide behind a nearby tree. She giggles as she peers out from behind it, then runs further into the garden, disappearing among the flowers and trees.

“Oh no, you won’t get away that easily!” Vadim pulls their gloves off and kicks off their boots, and then dashes into the gardens after their daughter.

They chase the girl until she tires herself out, collapsing in the grass in a fit of giggles. Vadim is tired out too at the end, tired but happy. They needed this, this moment of reprieve. This moment to be a person instead of the Speaker, a parent instead of a figurehead.

They sit cross legged in the grass, brown eyes closed as they savor the feeling of the wind in their hair. Vadim hears a rusting and sees Zufash carefully trying to step through the flowers, unsteady on her little toddler feet.

“Zufash,” they call, reaching an arm out to her. “Don’t go in the flowers, stay on the grass and the paths.”

“Why?” she asks, which is her new favorite word.

Renata appears again, gently bumping against the girl’s shoulder. “You might hurt them if you walk on them.”

That gets her attention, and she carefully starts to pick her way out of the flowers. “Oh. I’m sorry.” She wanders back over to Vadim, sitting down in the grass. She gently reaches out to some nearby flowers, touching the white petals. “What’re these?”

“Careful, flowers can be fragile.” Vadim moves over to her, taking her hands in theirs and pressing a kiss to them. “They’re called daisies, sweetling.”

“They’re pretty.”

“Yes, and you must be careful. Flowers, like many living things, are fragile. Life is precious and should be cherished. The Light lives in all things, all places. In you, in me, in all living things. The Traveler is a protector of life, and it is up to us to carry on in its stead while it cannot.”

Zufash appears to ponder this. “Does the Traveler like flowers, you think?”

Vadim laughs softly, drawing Zufash into their lap. “I’m sure it does, starshine. It has also been called the Gardener.”

The girl hums thoughtfully, iridescent silver eyes looking up at Vadim. “Daddy? Could I be a gardener someday? I like flowers.”

Something twists in Vadim’s chest when she says that, and they hold her tightly. She doesn’t appear to notice. “You can be whatever you want, Zufash.” There is a destiny laid out for her already, but he doesn’t want to tell her that. She’s a child, let her dream.

They brush some dirt off her dress, a smile overcoming their worried expression. She’s gotten her dress and herself dirty while playing, but what is to be expected of a toddler?

“I love you, daddy,” Zufash says, reaching her little arms up and wrapping them around their neck, yawning.

“I love you too, Zufash.”

This is enough, for now. 

It is enough to be human, to be their daughter’s entire world.

This is enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Zufash seems WAY older than two, that's on purpose. She's a Guardian, a Warlock, and is "hyperintelligent", for lack of a better word. She's very very ahead developmentally. Some people find her unnerving since she doesn't talk like a normal toddler, or act like one at times.
> 
> Vadim is nonbinary but they like being called Zufash's dad.
> 
> This was originally written for Destcember 2020 Day 9: Blooming Gardens


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